Tagged With Robots

As adorable robots go, it seems almost impossible to ever get angry at The Force Awakens' BB-8. Which is why turning the little robot into an alarm clock is such a brilliant idea, because no matter how tired or grumpy are, you'll never be tempted to throw BB-8 across the room when he frantically tries to wake you up.

Meet Salto, a UC Berkeley-designed robot that, like a parkour athlete, can string together consecutive vertical jumps. Its developers hope to use the robot in search-and-rescue missions, where it can dart around quickly across complex landscapes.

Ever wonder how Siri understands what you’re saying, or how an autonomous vehicle knows when to turn? The answer lies with Deep Learning, the groundbreaking field responsible for today’s AI marvels. If you’re fascinated by AI and want to explore its full potential, then the Advanced Guide to Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence is for you.

Manufacturing has seen a dramatic downturn in Australia, particularly in the automotive sector. So how do we keep this trend from continuing? As the great Billy Hughes said "science will guide the manufacturer into greener pastures", and CSIRO has a plan - we're talking sensors, data analytics, robotics, automation, 3D printing and augmented - or virtual - reality.

We strive to make robots in our own likeness because, as far as we can tell, humans are best adapted to deal with our world. And thanks to researchers at MIT, who've found a way to use cheap, nylon plastic as an artificial muscle, we're now one step closer to creating artificial humans — and opulent fantasy theme parks.

As robots get larger, smarter, faster, stronger and more agile, there's good reason for humanity to be a little worried about the day they eventually turn on us. Unless all robots end up like UCLA's BALLU, which is really nothing more than a pair of skinny robot legs attached to a helium balloon.

Video: The marvels of modern manufacturing allow toymakers to add incredible detail to their products. But the reason the BB-8 toy you bought looks almost nothing like the BB-8 seen in The Force Awakens is because you need to add a weathered, worn finish like the film's prop makers did.

As someone who digs sports and giant robots, I hope I'm not the only person who is a fan of Real Steel. The 2011 Hugh Jackman film about robot boxing is one of those predictable but fun Hollywood films designed to give you goosebumps. And it really would have done that, had a certain moment not been deleted.

A new report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development shows the increased use of robots threatens millions of jobs in developing countries. It undermines the advantage of low wages and facilitates the "reshoring" of industries back to industrialised countries.

Video: There's no real explanation as to why these toy Gundam robots want to steal the classic 1960s Batmobile, but by the end of this short film, by the talented stop-motion artists at YouTube's Counter656, you won't care. Besides, since when do you need a good reason to watch robots fight?

Video: This is easily the best video to spend your eyeball time on today. That's partly because it's wonderfully shot and reveals the inner workings of the machines. But it's mostly because it's a bunch of robots making tiny springs.

Video: "Work smarter, not harder" should be everyone's mantra. Marek Baczynski certainly abides by it. Why else would he spend hours of trial and error figuring out how to get a drone to change a lightbulb? We can finally add ladders to the list of things robots will eventually replace.

Kids love Halloween because they get to dress up, act like a monster, and be rewarded with free candy. Then you become an adult, and suddenly have to deal with little monsters demanding free sweets. Halloween is suddenly less fun, unless you build a Lego robot to deal with trick-or-treaters.

Agricultural robot Agbot II, designed and built by QUT with support from the Queensland Government, could save Australia's farm sector $1.3 billion a year by reducing the costs of weeding crops by around 90 per cent.

Farmers saw the robot in action at Bundaberg last week, when the fully-autonomous Agbot ll was demonstrated for the first time.

Making robots act like humans is hard, but making robots act like insects is considerably easier. And if you've ever seen a towering ant hill, or a massive bee hive, you know that thousands of insects working together can accomplish impressive things. So why not have a bunch of tiny robots do the same?

Progress is a fight between what works the best and what's feasible to manufacture cheaply at scale. Usually the latter wins. It's why we used VHS instead of Betamax. It's why most grocery store produce is utterly tasteless. And it's why we've built a humanoid robot that sweats.

To address the burgeoning "loneliness epidemic" and the demands of an ageing population, some think that we should deploy robotic caregivers. A new ad titled "BEN (Biologically Engineered Nursing)", however, suggests that this is a dreadful idea.